“She’s probably not going to be here all that long, right? When her mom gets better she’ll go home.”
Jessie looked at him skeptically. “Jack… Brandy might not get better. You know that, right?”
He nodded.
“If she doesn’t get better then Kennedy will stay here with you, right?”
He nodded again, more uncertainly this time. “I guess so.”
“And even if Brandy does get better, won’t you want to see Kennedy regularly? I mean, every other weekend or whatever?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“Well, you will. I mean, now that you know you have a daughter, you’ll want a relationship with her. So she’ll need a room here either way.”
Jack looked at her blankly. “I don’t know anything about girl stuff.”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing you have me… and Google,” Jessie laughed.
Jack gave her a small smile. “I’m really glad you’re here. Thanks.”
She smiled back at him. “Sure. What are friends for?”
Downstairs, Jessie went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. As usual, there was no food in Jack’s house. Beer. Coke. A lime, presumably for cocktails. A half-empty container of salsa.
She opened the freezer. There was literally nothing in it. It looked brand new, like no food had ever been stored in it.
She opened the pantry. Sugar. A half-eaten bag of tortilla chips, neatly closed with a chip clip.
“Really, Jack?” Jessie said, coming back into the family room. “Why don’t you ever have any food here? What do you eat?”
He looked up from his computer. “I eat when I’m out. You know that.”
“Well, what are you going to feed her for dinner?” she asked. “And breakfast?”
He shrugged. “I guess we’ll go out.”
Jessie shook her head. “I think you should keep her home tonight. She’s tired. She’s had a rough couple of days. My mom said she needs to rest.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I guess I’ll go pick something up and bring it here. You’re going to stay and have dinner with us and hang out, aren’t you?”
She hesitated. She had that date tonight. But it seemed like Jack and Kennedy needed her. “You need to go to the grocery store. You have to have food in the house, Jack.”
“I don’t know how to cook, Jessie. It’s just not my thing,” Jack answered, looking away as his eyes were drawn to a hot sex scene on the movie playing on the television.
A guy had a totally naked woman in doggy-style position and was humping in and out of her like an animal. They were both making loud sex noises.
“And you should change this movie! What if Kennedy wakes up? You shouldn’t have sex stuff on in front of her. She’s just a little girl. She shouldn’t see that!”
Jessie shook her head. For a smart guy he could be so dumb sometimes.
Jack looked at Kennedy as if he’d already forgotten that she was there. He picked up the remote control and quickly changed the channel to ESPN.
“Right. Of course. See? I’m a fucking idiot about this stuff. You have to stay. I need you.”
“And you should watch your language around her, too. You shouldn’t talk like that in front of a little girl, Jack.” Jessie already knew what she was going to do. Jack had said he needed her. There was no way she could tell him no. “I can go to the grocery store for you and get what you need. And I guess I can make dinner tonight.”
She would reschedule her date with Justin. She just couldn’t leave Jack here alone, trying to figure out how to take care of a four-year-old by himself when he had absolutely no experience taking care of kids. She would stay to help settle Kennedy in. She had told him she would help him, after all.
“That would be great.” Jack smiled. He pulled a credit card from his wallet and handed it to her. “Thanks, Jessie. You’re such a sweetheart.”
Her heart did a little fluttery thing when his hand slid across her back as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. The scrape of the stubble on his jaw against her face sent little tingles skating through her body.
She smiled back at him and tried to ignore the frantic way her heart had started pounding when he touched her.
“You’re welcome. What do you want for dinner?”
“Whatever you feel like making. You know I’m not picky,” he answered, his attention already back on his fantasy football lineup.
Kennedy rolled over on her side and woke up. She sat up, looking confused and adorable as she stretched and rubbed her eyes.
Jessie went over and sat beside her. Kennedy snuggled against her, yawning.
“Where are we?” She looked up at Jessie after glancing at Jack, who was focused on his iPad screen. The sound of her voice got his attention and he glanced over at them.
“We’re at your dad’s house. It’s nice, huh?”
Kennedy nodded and glanced around with wide eyes.
Cody nudged his way close to her and the little girl laughed, reaching out to pet the dog snuggling beside her.
“This is Cody,” Jessie said.
“He’s so cute!” Kennedy giggled, wrapping her arms around him.
“How are you feeling?” Jessie asked her, smoothing her hair and caressing her soft little cheek.
Jack stared at Jessie, aware of how grateful he felt that she was there. He had never appreciated her as much as he did in that moment.
“Fine,” Kennedy answered.
“Are you hungry?” Jessie asked her. Kennedy nodded her head. “What do you like to eat?”
Kennedy shrugged and looked down at the sofa cushion, shy. “I don’t know.” Her voice was a whisper.
“Well, what does your mom usually make you for dinner?” Jessie gently probed.
“Macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. Or peanut butter and jelly.”
“Okay. Well, what other foods do you like? What’s your favorite?” Jessie was pretty sure Jack wasn’t going to want to eat macaroni and cheese and hot dogs for dinner.
Kennedy thought for a minute and shrugged. “Spaghetti. Or pizza.” She looked up at the huge television mounted on the wall. “Can I watch Frozen?”
Jessie looked at Jack. “Can she watch Frozen?”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“It’s a movie. Oh my God, Jack, where have you been?” Jessie laughed. “Can you believe that your daddy doesn’t know about Frozen?”
Kennedy giggled.
He rolled his eyes and picked up the remote control. He navigated to Amazon Video and clicked to bring up the search screen.
“Frozen, huh?” Jack said out loud as he typed the title in the search box.
Kennedy nodded and he pressed enter. It came up on the screen, giving him the option to rent it or buy it.
Jessie recommended he buy it, as it was certain that Kennedy would want to watch the movie over and over again. He completed the transaction and pressed the button to start the movie.
“I’m going to go to the grocery store and get us something for dinner, okay?” Jessie leaned down and pressed a kiss against Kennedy’s forehead.
Kennedy clung to her. “Can I go with you?”
“No, sweetie… you need to stay here and rest. Daddy will stay here with you. Just lie here and watch your movie, okay? You can tell Daddy all about Elsa and Olaf. I’ll be back very soon.”
Jessie handed her the pink stuffed bunny rabbit and Kennedy hugged it to her chest and snuggled back down on the couch.
Kennedy nodded and glanced shyly at Jack, who was sitting in a chair, quietly observing their interaction.
“Maybe you should invite Chris and Zoey over. What do you think?” Jessie suggested.
Jack nodded. “Good idea.”
He reached for his phone and sent Chris a text.
“Do you want Mr. Chris to come watch Olaf with you?”
Kennedy smiled and nodded.
Jessie left Kennedy staring at the television while Jack stayed focused
on his iPad, still working on his fantasy football lineup.
He glanced over at Kennedy when he heard her singing along with a song in the movie. He looked at the screen and smirked. It seemed kind of ridiculous to him, but it appeared to make her happy.
“Jack?” Kennedy’s shy, hesitant voice got his attention.
“Huh?” Jack looked at her.
“I’m thirsty.”
“Yeah?” Jack set his iPad down and stood up. “What do you want?”
Kennedy shrugged. “Juice box?”
“Don’t have any of those. I’ll ask Jessie to get you some at the store. How about a Coke for now?”
Kennedy smiled and nodded her head happily.
Jack grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to Jessie asking her to get some juice boxes.
He walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a can of Coke. He poured it into a glass with some ice and brought it to her. She took a big gulp.
“Mmmm. It’s good. Thank you.”
Jack nodded and sat back down in his chair.
He watched her set the glass carefully on the table.
She was quiet after that, watching the movie and singing softly along with the characters.
Jessie returned a couple of hours later. Kennedy had finished watching Frozen, and was now fifteen minutes into Beauty and the Beast.
“Hey.” Jack stood up as Jessie walked into the house carrying a grocery bag in each hand. “Is there more?”
“Oh, yeah. I went ahead and picked up enough stuff to last for a few days,” Jessie replied.
She glanced at the television. “Did you buy this movie, too?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. The other one ended and this is what she asked to watch.”
Jessie smiled and laughed. What a strange side of Jack she was seeing. Her heart fluttered as he walked outside to get the rest of the bags from the car.
He came back inside and set the rest of the grocery bags down on the kitchen island.
“Thanks again. I really appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome. It’s no big deal.” Jessie had called her date and made an excuse, rescheduling for the following weekend.
Jack looked uncertainly at the groceries that Jessie was putting away. “Do you… should I help?”
Jessie smiled and shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I got it. Are Chris and Zoey coming?”
“Yeah, they’ll be here soon. What can I do to help?”
Jessie smiled. “I’ve got this, Jack. Why don’t you just go watch the movie with Kennedy? I’m sure she can catch you up on what you’ve missed so far.”
Chapter Three
JESSIE ASKED ZOEY TO HELP Kennedy wash her hands for dinner, while she finished making the salad.
“Dinner’s ready!” she heard Zoey call to Chris and Jack, who had disappeared to the bar in Jack’s game room.
A few minutes later they wandered into the kitchen, where Jessie had set the table with dishes that Jack’s sister had apparently picked out for him, but that he had rarely used.
They sat down to the meal Jessie had prepared. Stuffed shells, garden salad, steamed broccoli and crusty garlic bread.
“Looks good,” Jack said before he started eating.
Jessie passed around a bottle of Italian vinaigrette for the salad.
“Yeah, Jessie, everything looks fantastic,” Chris agreed.
“I hope you all like it.” Jessie smiled. “Does anyone want some wine?”
Jack and Zoey nodded and she poured some into their glasses.
“Mmmm! This is so good!” Kennedy exclaimed, smiling happily. “It’s the best thing I ever ate.”
“I’m so glad you like it, baby girl.” Jessie laughed at Kennedy’s grand proclamation.
“Yeah, this is really good, Jessie. What’s in here?” Zoey asked.
“Oh, it’s just ricotta and mozzarella cheese, ground beef, and pepperoni. Oh, and sauce.”
“Thanks for making dinner again,” Jack said, getting up and walking to the stove to pile a generous second helping onto his already empty plate. “Two nights in a row. I could get used to this,” Jack told her with a smile.
Chris shot Jack a quizzical look.
“Two nights?” Zoey asked. “Did we miss last night’s invitation?”
Jessie laughed, ignoring Zoey’s question.
“You should probably figure out how to cook at least some things, Jack. I’m not going to be here every night, you know.”
He sat back down and looked across the table at his daughter.
His daughter. How weird was that?
She was eating happily, a smear of tomato sauce on her chin. She picked up her glass of water and took a sip.
“Can I have another Coke?” Kennedy looked at Jack.
Jack shrugged. “Sure.”
“No,” Jessie said at the same time.
Chris and Zoey laughed.
“You want her to have caffeine so close to bedtime? She’ll never go to sleep,” Jessie pointed out.
“Oh yeah, that’s true. I didn’t think of that,” Jack agreed. “Jessie’s right, kid. You better stick with the water.”
Kennedy frowned but didn’t argue. “What time do I have to go to bed?”
“That’s up to your daddy,” Jessie said, looking at Jack.
Kennedy looked at him, waiting for an answer.
“What time do you usually go to bed?” Jack asked.
Kennedy shrugged. “I don’t know. Not early. I usually stay up really late.”
They all looked at each other, amusement lighting up their eyes. It was obvious that Kennedy was trying to play on their ignorance in order to stay up late.
“I like this kid,” Chris laughed.
Jack shrugged. “What time do kids usually go to bed, Jessie?”
“About eight o’clock, I think.”
“Okay, eight o’clock it is then.”
JESSIE AND ZOEY FINISHED WASHING the dishes and then they joined the others in the living room. Jack and Chris were watching a sports channel. Kennedy sat on the floor, crayons scattered all over as she worked on a picture in a coloring book.
“Time for a little girl to take a bath. I’ll help her,” Jessie said.
“I’ll help, too,” Zoey offered.
Jack nodded. “Is she… she’s old enough to take her own bath, isn’t she?”
Jessie laughed at his panicked look.
“I’ll help her tonight and let you know.”
Jessie, Zoey and Kennedy disappeared into the huge bathroom in Jack’s room.
Chris turned to Jack and shook his head, a big smile lighting up his face.
“Never thought I’d see the day Jack Turner would have a woman in his house, cooking dinner for him and his daughter. Feels like I’m in the Twilight Zone or something. This is pretty funny.”
Jack smirked. “Thanks a lot. Glad my life being totally fucked can provide you with some goddamn entertainment.”
“You’d be laughing your ass off if it was me. Just saying, for a man who never wanted a family, looks like you got one anyway.”
Jack roughed his hand through his hair. “Yeah, no shit.”
Chris grew serious for a moment. “Look, I know Jessie’s a sweetheart, and it’s probably really easy to accidentally take advantage of that. But she’s your kid, Jack, not Jessie’s.”
“I know that,” Jack replied. “I’m just kid-incompetent. I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing.”
Chris laughed. “Good thing you’re a fast learner. Doesn’t look like you have much of a choice.”
A half an hour later Zoey brought Kennedy back into the living room in a pair of fuzzy pink pajamas and the matching slippers that Jessie had picked out earlier that day.
Jessie joined them a few minutes later and sat behind Kennedy on the couch, combing her wet hair and drying it gently with a towel.
“She does pretty well as far as cleaning herself, Jack, but she needs help washing her hair,” Jessie told him.
J
ack nodded stiffly. “Okay. I guess I can figure that out.”
“Scared of a little girl?” Chris laughed at the expression on Jack’s face.
“Yeah, right. Not scared.” Jack shook his head in denial. “Just don’t want to do it wrong.”
Jessie laughed and snuggled Kennedy in her lap. “I’ll show you how to do it, Jack. Don’t worry. You’ll be just fine.”
At eight o’clock Jessie announced that it was time for Kennedy to go to bed.
Jack and Jessie took her upstairs together. Jessie tucked her in.
“I want to see my mommy,” Kennedy whispered, tears suddenly spilling down her cheeks.
She burst into tears and sobbed as Jessie held and rocked her, whispering soothing words in her ear.
Jack stood in the doorway with his hands jammed in his pockets, looking stiff and uncomfortable.
“It’s okay, baby. I know you’re scared, but everything is going to be okay. Daddy and I will be right downstairs.”
“No! No! No!” Kennedy cried. “Don’t leave me here! Please!”
Jessie looked at Jack. “I don’t want to leave her. It’s too much for her. Maybe she’d do better in your bed downstairs?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah, okay. Whatever you think.”
Jessie picked her up and handed her to Jack. Kennedy pressed her face into his neck and cried as he carried her downstairs to his room. Jessie pulled back the covers and Jack put her down in the middle of his huge bed. She clung to the pink bunny, sniffling.
“You want to watch Frozen for a little while?” Jessie suggested, glancing at Jack.
Kennedy nodded and Jack picked up the remote control to the television mounted on the wall on the opposite side of the room. He scrolled to the Amazon Video app, retrieved the movie he had purchased earlier and pressed play.
“Is that better?” Jack asked.
Kennedy nodded again, but she grabbed Jessie’s hand and held on to it tightly.
“Will you please stay with me?” Kennedy asked, her tiny voice shaking.
Jessie melted. “Of course I will, sweetie.” She climbed up in the bed and held her close. “It’s okay, Jack. I’ll stay with her.”
Zoey came in the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, giving Jessie a sympathetic look.
Jack nodded gratefully as he left the room.
When he had gone, Jessie looked at Zoey helplessly. “What else can I do? This poor baby. I can’t just leave her.”
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